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November 2016

Kim O'Neil

12-Sep-2018

By Kim O’Neill, CEO, On the Line

William Shakespeare famously said, “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so”.

Let’s face it, life has its ups and downs, and its struggles. And no matter who you are, at some stage in your life you are going to experience a relationship breakdown, death of a loved one, being made redundant or unemployed. Just LIFE. And during these life events you’re probably going to feel fear, anger, resentment, grief, loneliness and a whole lot of other feelings and emotions. Maybe all of them at once.

We deal with our thoughts and feelings in both healthy and unhealthy ways. Some of us abuse ourselves, judging and punishing ourselves for our perceived failures and shortcomings. And so we suffer.

The good news is, research now acknowledges that mindfulness practice, or paying attention non-judgmentally moment to moment, can really make a difference to your life and your levels of contentment or happiness. It’s not a magic pill, or a quick fix, but it does work and it changes your life for the better!

Like learning any new skill or training for a marathon you need to practice. Start with small goals and build up to establishing a daily meditation or sitting routine.

There are a couple of basic aspects to mindfulness practice:

Focus your attention on the breath.

Recognise or notice what’s happening in your mind and body.

Allow whatever comes up, or the thoughts that come into your mind, to come and go without judgement, resistance or grasping.

Remember… You are not your thoughts, and you don’t have to believe them.

Expanding our mindset when talking about mental health

As discussed in my recent post about the renewed focus on mental health brought about by Victorian and Federal government reviews, we have a wonderful opportunity to look at mental health in a new way.

Is loneliness the curse of our generation?

The evidence of a new public health threat is mounting. Society has ignored this threat for too long and now researchers and politicians are warning that we’re in the midst of an epidemic. This epidemic is one we all recognise. Loneliness.

Opportunities for proactive approaches to mental health reform

On the Line recently submitted our response to the Productivity Commission into the Social and Economic Benefits of Improving Mental Health, which provides us all with a fantastic opportunity to change the way our society views mental health.

The physical impact of loneliness (Part 2)

The physical impact of loneliness, Part 1

Its well-recognised that loneliness plays a significant role in causing and exacerbating emotional difficulties, but recent research into loneliness has also led to a greater understanding of how it can ravage our bodies.

The wilderness inside of us: loneliness vs social isolation

The fear associated with loneliness and social isolation can be traced back to humanity’s earliest days. The definitions have changed over time, but the underlying feeling of disconnection, has always been dangerous for us.